The present invention relates generally to decking assemblies and more particularly to a decking assembly, and a decking kit including an improved hold-down clip.
Decking assemblies typically include horizontal floors raised above the ground. Often such decking assemblies are attached adjacent to residential and commercial buildings. Other uses for such decking assemblies are boardwalks, boat docks, stairs, benches and bridges. Such decking assemblies are often formed from a substructure formed with joists and headers. Several boards of lumber or other material are then typically transversely fixed across the joists of the sub-frame, in a generally parallel relationship, by way of nails driven through the top surface of the boards.
These decking assemblies, while being adequate for most general purposes, exhibit several shortcomings. These include compromised structural integrity, difficulty in assembly, and limited aesthetic appeal. The use of nails with wooden boards in conventional decking assemblies exhibits each of these problems.
For example, with hammering it is easy to miss the head of the nail and cause unsightly dents and scratches on the top surface of the boards. Additionally, nails are prone to rusting, thus discoloring the top surface of the boards and weakening the nail. This, in turn, compromises the structural integrity of the decking assembly. Also, nails have the tendency to cause wood to split, and to work up from their placements when stressed, further compromising the structural integrity of the decking assembly. Moreover, it is difficult to achieve a uniform spacing for each board.
Other shortcomings of known nail and wood decking assemblies include the vulnerability of wood to dramatic climate changes. The constant expansion and contraction of conventional wood and nail decking assemblies often cause cracking and weakens the entire structure. Additionally, the appearance of nails from the top of the boards of conventional decking assemblies results in an aesthetically displeasing appearance.
One alternative which results in a more visually pleasing deck is to counter-sink the nails and fill the hole with wood plugs. This, however, is expensive and time consuming. Often the plugs work out over time, allowing water to collect and accelerating a rotting process.
Another alternative way of constructing decking assemblies which has been proposed includes the use of a nailing anchor to fix boards to a sub-structure from their bottom surface. Examples of such decking assemblies are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,620,403 to Field; U.S. Pat. No. 5,775,048 to Orchard; U.S. Pat. No. 4,965,980 to Leavens; and in Canadian Patent number 2,015,733 to Commins. While the use of a nailing anchor may address aesthetic concerns, such assemblies are typically time consuming to assemble. Moreover, they do not address any of the more important structural concerns arising from the use of nails in a wooden structure.
Equally as significant, the use of nails or other fasteners driven into wood boards makes disassembly and repairs of decking assemblies difficult. Moreover, disassembled boards typically include nail markings and holes from previous assembly, and are not easily re-used.
To avoid some of the shortcomings of wooden boards, the use of polymer boards has been proposed. Polymer boards do not rot or decay like wooden boards. However, plastic and polymer boards are much more susceptible to variations in temperatures and are also weakened by the introduction of nails.
Additionally, clip-on boards have been proposed as an alternative to nails. These are usually shaped in such a way as to dictate only one manner of installation. This asymmetry causes problems with installation and maintenance. Additionally, clip-on boards are typically not secure and can be removed without any tools, making them both structurally weaker.
Similarly, tongue and groove boards have been proposed to be used in association with anchor clips which bend into place. However, this often results in a weaker structure with clips that are susceptible to rust and loosening. Moreover, tongue and groove assemblies typically do not allow for drainage of water, that accompanies a typical freeze and thaw cycle.
Accordingly, an improved deck that addresses some of shortcoming of known decking assemblies is desirable.
An object of the present invention is to provide an improved deck that is easy to construct, aesthetically pleasing and that may be less susceptible to rotting, splitting and decaying than conventional decking assemblies, and that may be use in a variety of climate conditions.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a deck-kit that is conveniently packaged and that may be used to build an improved deck.
Therefore, in accordance with an aspect of the present invention, a decking assembly includes, a supporting substructure; a first lengthwise extending board, having a lengthwise extending first lip extending outwardly and upwardly away from a side of the first board; and a second lengthwise extending board, having a lengthwise extending first lip extending outwardly and upwardly away from a side of the second board. The first and second boards extend on the substructure with the first lip of the first board and the first lip of the second board each extending upwardly and adjacent to each other. At least one hold down clip, is affixed to the supporting substructure and includes a top portion; two downwardly extending tabs extending downwardly defining a medial region between the downwardly extending tabs. The downwardly extending tabs press on the adjacent lips, thereby pulling the first and second boards inwardly toward the medial region to secure the boards to the substructure.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a decking kit includes at least two lengthwise extending boards, each including a lengthwise extending lip extending outwardly and upwardly away from a side of the board; and at least one hold-down clip, to be affixed to a supporting substructure. The hold-down clip includes a top portion, two downwardly extending tabs extending downwardly from the top portion, defining a medial portion therebetween. The tabs are for pressing downwardly on adjacent lips of two boards placed on the substructure, thereby pulling the boards inwardly toward the medial portion to secure the first and second boards to the substructure.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a hold-down clip includes a top portion; and two downwardly extending tabs extending downwardly from the top portion, defining a medial portion therebetween. The tabs are adapted to press downwardly on adjacent lips of two boards placed on a substructure, thereby pulling the boards inwardly toward the medial portion to secure the boards to the substructure.
Other aspects and features of the present invention will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon review of the following description of specific embodiments of the invention in conjunction with the accompanying figures.